Glen Perkins Out for Season

[alarp33]

I can't say this is a surprise at all, but looks like it is official. Perkins will undergo surgery on a torn labrum and miss the rest of the season.  

 

 

[jorgenswest]

Another extension into the decline phase years fails to pay off.

 

Perkins was under team control through 2015 under very favorable terms in his previous contract. The Twins were compelled to purchase his age 33 and 34 year old seasons with a option/buy out at age 35.

[alarp33]

 

Another extension into the decline phase years fails to pay off.

Perkins was under team control through 2015 under very favorable terms in his previous contract. The Twins were compelled to purchase his age 33 and 34 year old seasons with a option/buy out at age 35.

 

They actually had a club option for 2016 as well.... 

[Seth Stohs]

Surgery is never good. It's ideal to stay away from it, which is why the rest-rehab is generally the appropriate strategy. But this issue has gone on long enough, and to find there is some amount of tearing in the labrum now, surgery is finally the right answer. 

 

For Perkins, it is at least an answer, even if it's not the one he would want.  He'll be able to have the surgery and work to come back. 

[nytwinsfan]

Hopefully the Twins' have insurance that will kick in because of this. At least I hope.

[alarp33]

I'm not a Major League pitcher (if you hadn't guessed), but I've had 2 surgeries for a torn labrum (no rotator cuff damage found during either one), one in my early 20's and one in late 20's (I'm 32).  Obviously there are giant differences between the rehab for a professional baseball player, and me.... but I would be very surprised if he ever pitched at a high level again.  I bet he is back on a mound by Spring, but it is such a tricky piece of cartilage, and every time he described his symptoms I thought it sounded an awful lot like what I went through.  

 

I never had pain in day to day life, could lift weights, play golf, etc. all completely normally.  When I went to throw anything overhanded, it was like a knife was being jammed into the back of my shoulder.  The 2nd surgery has worked ok, I can play casual catch without pain.. but I doubt I will ever be able to "let loose" and throw a ball as hard as I can ever again. 

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

Bummer. Real bummer. Good luck, Mr. Perkins in your recovery.

[Vanimal46]

 

I'm not a Major League pitcher (if you hadn't guessed), but I've had 2 surgeries for a torn labrum (no rotator cuff damage found during either one), one in my early 20's and one in late 20's (I'm 32).  Obviously there are giant differences between the rehab for a professional baseball player, and me.... but I would be very surprised if he ever pitched at a high level again.  I bet he is back on a mound by Spring, but it is such a tricky piece of cartilage, and every time he described his symptoms I thought it sounded an awful lot like what I went through.  

 

I never had pain in day to day life, could lift weights, play golf, etc. all completely normally.  When I went to throw anything overhanded, it was like a knife was being jammed into the back of my shoulder.  The 2nd surgery has worked ok, I can play casual catch without pain.. but I doubt I will ever be able to "let loose" and throw a ball as hard as I can ever again. 

It's amazing how common this injury is becoming. I've had 2 surgeries for a torn labrum in my hip from playing hockey. First time in 2007, second in 2009. It took going to countless doctors and specialists over the course of 8 months to identify the issue 9 years ago. That was daily, constant pain - Couldn't walk normally, had to sleep with the leg elevated, and I'll always remember my stomach getting abused from taking Aleve on a daily basis. 

These days though, I thought they were able to identify this sort of injury much faster. Perhaps it's possible Perkins knew about this months ago and wanted to see if he can pitch through it? Either way this is an injury that will not repair itself without a surgical procedure. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I'm not a Major League pitcher (if you hadn't guessed), but I've had 2 surgeries for a torn labrum (no rotator cuff damage found during either one), one in my early 20's and one in late 20's (I'm 32).  Obviously there are giant differences between the rehab for a professional baseball player, and me.... but I would be very surprised if he ever pitched at a high level again.  I bet he is back on a mound by Spring, but it is such a tricky piece of cartilage, and every time he described his symptoms I thought it sounded an awful lot like what I went through.  

 

I never had pain in day to day life, could lift weights, play golf, etc. all completely normally.  When I went to throw anything overhanded, it was like a knife was being jammed into the back of my shoulder.  The 2nd surgery has worked ok, I can play casual catch without pain.. but I doubt I will ever be able to "let loose" and throw a ball as hard as I can ever again.

 

Thank you for the really good context. However I don't think that describes what Perkins was experiencing.

[alarp33]

 

It's amazing how common this injury is becoming. I've had 2 surgeries for a torn labrum in my hip from playing hockey. First time in 2007, second in 2009. It took going to countless doctors and specialists over the course of 8 months to identify the issue 9 years ago. 

 

Good point, same thing here.  Before the 1st surgery I had 2 MRI's, neither showed much of a tear... we basically did the surgery because the Doc just assumed something was wrong in there based on the symptoms.  Sure enough, clear tear once they went in.  2nd surgery, wasn't an obvious tear on the MRI either

[alarp33]

 

Thank you for the really good context. However I don't think that describes what Perkins was experiencing.

 

Sounds pretty similar to what I wrote (and experienced)... the "letting go" and really throwing is where I experienced the pain.. light games of catch, even longer toss were ok

 

Perkins said he is pain-free when he throws on flat ground, even extending back to 120 feet. Then when he gets on the mound and the catcher goes into a crouch, Perkins described the pain he feels in his shoulder as a “stabbing” sensation.

[nicksaviking]

Hopefully he comes back stronger and ready to go.

 

I'm not a service time expert, but it looks to me like Perkins is going to have 10 and 5 rights next year, so the window to trade him may have passed.

[gocgo]

 

I'm not a Major League pitcher (if you hadn't guessed), but I've had 2 surgeries for a torn labrum (no rotator cuff damage found during either one), one in my early 20's and one in late 20's (I'm 32).  Obviously there are giant differences between the rehab for a professional baseball player, and me.... but I would be very surprised if he ever pitched at a high level again.  I bet he is back on a mound by Spring, but it is such a tricky piece of cartilage, and every time he described his symptoms I thought it sounded an awful lot like what I went through.  

 

I never had pain in day to day life, could lift weights, play golf, etc. all completely normally.  When I went to throw anything overhanded, it was like a knife was being jammed into the back of my shoulder.  The 2nd surgery has worked ok, I can play casual catch without pain.. but I doubt I will ever be able to "let loose" and throw a ball as hard as I can ever again. 

Agree.  May as well say Perkins done for life.

[SirLoin]

 

So I was off by about 45 days....

[Halsey Hall]

Glen who?

[Thrylos]

5 mph velocity drop does not happen when someone is ok.  There was something obviously wrong with him. 

 

That said, stick a fork in him.  He is done.  Here is an interesting article describing what happens to pitchers with a torn labrum, like Rob Nen.  A quote from there:

 

"if pitchers with torn labrums were horses, they'd be destroyed. Of the 36 major-league hurlers diagnosed with labrum tears in the last five years, only midlevel reliever Rocky Biddle has returned to his previous level. Think about that when your favorite pitcher comes down with labrum trouble: He has a 3 percent chance of becoming Rocky Biddle. More likely, he'll turn into Mike Harkey, Robert Person, or Jim Parque, pitchers who lost stamina and velocity—and a major-league career—when their labrums began to fray."

 

If the last sentence does not describe Perkins at the second of half of last season and this Spring, I don't know what it does.

 

Totally irresponsible (and cost the Twins a post-season berth) not to get onto this after the AS break last season and act accordingly (get a real closer for the team.)

 

The Twins should be in the market for a closer this off-season, or let one of Chargois/Burdi earn the job this summer.

 

(and if that reference is a bit too old for some, here is one from last season saying pretty much the same thing)

 

[gunnarthor]

 

Another extension into the decline phase years fails to pay off.

Perkins was under team control through 2015 under very favorable terms in his previous contract. The Twins were compelled to purchase his age 33 and 34 year old seasons with a option/buy out at age 35.

I'm not sure this is the contract to bitch about.  The Twins will be paying him all of 6.5m next year.  Obviously, there are risks to contract extensions and FA signings (which is why I'm generally against big FA deals).  But Perkins deal was pretty sound.  A team certainly could never make a commitment to players and make them all play year to year until they hit free agency but that seems unsound. 

[Mike Sixel]

My issue is not trading him a couple years ago.....

[Everyday Eddy]

Unfortunate for Glen and the Twins.    Should have been moved to a contender 2 years ago.    Now his career is likely over after spending the last 5 plus years being one of if not the best player on a big loser

[lukeduke1980]

Can we have that doctor check everyone else's shoulders?

[gunnarthor]

 

My issue is not trading him a couple years ago.....

Yeah, that's fair.  I am of two minds - one, he probably had nice value so a trade would be nice and two, the team thought he'd be good enough to be closing for their next winning team, was willing to sign a team friendly deal and showed the locker room the team wanted to keep its good players.  But really, only he and Span were above average players that Ryan could have traded.  Wonder what he would have brought back.

[alarp33]

 

I'm not sure this is the contract to bitch about.  The Twins will be paying him all of 6.5m next year.  Obviously, there are risks to contract extensions and FA signings (which is why I'm generally against big FA deals).  But Perkins deal was pretty sound.  A team certainly could never make a commitment to players and make them all play year to year until they hit free agency but that seems unsound. 

 

$7.2 million since you need to include the buyout.  They also paid him about $1.5 million more (total) in '14 + '15 then they needed to.  And $6.5 million this year, when they could've paid either $4.5 mill, or buy him out  for $300k.  Pretty sound deal? Not so much

[SweetOne69]

 

Hopefully he comes back stronger and ready to go.

 

I'm not a service time expert, but it looks to me like Perkins is going to have 10 and 5 rights next year, so the window to trade him may have passed.

According to Baseball Reference, Perkins came into this season with a little over 8 years of Service Time.  Which means he won't achieve 10/5 status until after the 2017 season.

[jorgenswest]

Perkins was fantastic in the first half. I don't think they compete last year without him. Should they have traded him instead of extending him? Maybe. The Twins were fun to watch last year and his first half performance was a key.

 

In theory, teams should probably trade every player as they get to 30. If they did, they woul get much better value than at age 32. It is hard to imagine how they would win games without some veteran presence.

[gunnarthor]

 

$7.2 million since you need to include the buyout.  They also paid him about $1.5 million more (total) in '14 + '15 then they needed to.  And $6.5 million this year, when they could've paid either $4.5 mill, or buy him out  for $300k.  Pretty sound deal? Not so much

Or still less than the A's are paying Billy Butler?  

 

I just don't quite get the gripe.  He played at an all-star level, he was willing to take a very good home town deal, was an all-star twice after that deal, and got hurt.  It happens. But if your the Twins, don't you do that deal every time?  

 

I mean, if the Twins could have gotten the Ken GIles haul for him, sure but I don't think that was in the cards.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Sounds pretty similar to what I wrote (and experienced)... the "letting go" and really throwing is where I experienced the pain.. light games of catch, even longer toss were ok

 

Perkins said he is pain-free when he throws on flat ground, even extending back to 120 feet. Then when he gets on the mound and the catcher goes into a crouch, Perkins described the pain he feels in his shoulder as a “stabbing” sensation.

For an extra 99 cents you could throw in a hyperlink next time.

[alarp33]

 

Or still less than the A's are paying Billy Butler?  

 

I just don't quite get the gripe.  He played at an all-star level, he was willing to take a very good home town deal, was an all-star twice after that deal, and got hurt.  It happens. But if your the Twins, don't you do that deal every time?  

 

I mean, if the Twins could have gotten the Ken GIles haul for him, sure but I don't think that was in the cards.

 

Gotta be honest, I have no idea what Billy Butler or the A's have to do with this.  

 

He was willing to take a very good home town deal... when he was already under contract to a very good home town deal for 3 more years.  There's a reason his agent approached the Twins, not the other way around. 

 

What he agreed to in 2014.... he agreed to take more money in 2014+2015 then his current contract paid him, a guarantee of $6.5 in 2016 (when the previous option was for $4.5)... and agreed to give the Twins 2 new years of control, for $6.5 + $6.5 or $700k buyout (option)... 

[Thrylos]

 

Perkins was fantastic in the first half. I don't think they compete last year without him. Should they have traded him instead of extending him? Maybe. The Twins were fun to watch last year and his first half performance was a key.

 

Fantastic? 
 

Perkins' first half in 2015:

 

2.30 FIP, 25.2 K%

That 2.30 FIP would rank him 13th among MLB relievers in 2015 and
that 25.2 K% would rank him 60th among MLB in 2015

 

If Perkins was fantastic, there were about a dozen or two more fantastic relievers in the majors in 2016...

 

[alarp33]

 

For an extra 99 cents you could throw in a hyperlink next time.

 

Sweet, thanks for the tip.  You seemed to know exactly how Perkins felt based off your original response

 

However I don't think that describes what Perkins was experiencing.

 

I'm surprised you would need the hyperlink

 

http://www.1500espn.com/twins-2/2016/06/glen-perkins-has-another-mri-on-shoulder-will-get-another-opinion-in-anaheim/

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Perkins was fantastic in the first half. I don't think they compete last year without him. Should they have traded him instead of extending him? Maybe. The Twins were fun to watch last year and his first half performance was a key.

In theory, teams should probably trade every player as they get to 30. If they did, they woul get much better value than at age 32. It is hard to imagine how they would win games without some veteran presence.

 

I don't agree that is the theory.....just like I don't agree you should never have a bad contract/deal.

 

I agree with your first paragraph.....I just didn't agree with the thought they'd be there while he was good.